A Small Premonition
by darjeelinte
Summary: Rin stumbles on secrets that Izumo had kept dead.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : There is a very large lack of Rin/Izumo anything when they have chemistry. Their back stories and tragic angst literally parallel the other. I wished the Izumo arc was longer to be honest and Rin was more feral hehe…So! I will write a fic, and the length will depend but it'll span a bit from before the Kyoto arc and will diverge because it is rizumo and it needs some development. Hopefully I'll be motivated to update haha but it'll either be monthly or biweekly.

I know Rin likes Shiemi and that will be dealt with, with no bashing or character hate. I really like Shiemi as a character but not in a relationship with Rin to be quite honest.

Enough of my rambling! Please enjoy!

* * *

Izumo is aware that she's crying but she isn't aware that someone had seen her. However when something goes over her head and it's balmy she looks at it and then to the person who threw it and how he frowned and told her to get out.

She's speechless to say.

Now wasn't the time to be prideful because obviously she didn't have that impression anymore. At least not to this boy. Pulling it on, she had fled picking up her clothing and hopping to not trip over her own bare feet as she hadn't bothered to tug on shoes; running from the growing voices and slipping through the old unused exit to the dormitories.

There wasn't anyone in the hallways as she dashed into her room. The wooden planks against her feet are thudding as is her heart rate. Collapsing against the door she then made her way to the adjoined beds and heaved a sigh before putting her forearms to her face as she fell back onto the mattress.

What a coward she was.

Precarious was her control and it had all but shattered when her feelings had gotten the better of her. Mike and Uke were her familiars as well as family even if they didn't view her fitable to command them. Apparently they didn't view her as family either which made her chest hurt a bit.

It was bad enough that Paku was her only friend as well as one of her weaknesses and she went off into an unrestful sleep.

It didn't last long as she was woken from her phone. How long had she slept? On the screen the numbers were somewhere between late evening and early morning.

A long segmented text from Paku saying that she was sorry and among other trivial things that Izumo replied in her short terse words that couldn't convey well digitally and could come off as harsh. The returning message was quicker and shorter that Izumo could tell the girl was sorry. It's fine if she's alright. That's all that matters.

Letting her phone turn off, she realized that all she was in was that boy's shirt. Rin Okumura's. A delinquent. Well he did look like one. Then again what delinquent gives a girl his own shirt off his back? Sitting up, she plucked at the fabric. Cotton blue that was weathered from its usage, softened. It smelled like what usual boys smelled like and it wasn't unpleasant but knowing that it was from a guy made her turn her nose up.

Well she could wash it. So it wouldn't stink up her room. That was completely what she was doing. It wasn't as if she owed him anything of the sort. Not at all.

Changing into a tank top and then pulling over a long sleeved shirt, she went down to the laundry room that was a few blocks from the dorms but still within distance and decided to wash it with other several articles of clothing while she was at it.

Fitting the coins in as they traveled down with metallic clinking, there wasn't anyone else in at such a late hour besides herself. Which she was thankful for.

While waiting for the clothing to air she sighed, idly crossing her legs. It was tiring today and she wondered what could possess her to be up this early to just wash a shirt for a guy she barely even knew. Izumo just knew the guy as the irresponsible, unsightly, older brother.

That itself was hard to believe that he was as Yukio had the act down of being mature and appearing to be of the older one of twins. Taller too, that must drive the other insane, for the younger twin to be taller. Then again they were twins so she wouldn't know.

There was the soft chiming and she got up and didn't bother to fold her clothes. It was late in the night when she returned and went back to bed, the shirt neatly folded on the desk across from her bed. She turned away from it and fell into a lighter sleep.

It was early in the morning when she woke again. Twilight hour wasn't her favorite hour but she got up again. In her sleeping pattern she shouldn't have been as awake as she had been. The sun had barely up over the horizon as she went downstairs to the conjoined bathrooms.

There was someone already there brushing their teeth. It was Rin and he noticed her as she bidded him a good morning. He hadn't bothered to spit out his toothpaste as he greeted her back, then going back to brush his teeth.

It was an embarrassment to have had her moment of weakness and then she told him to keep it to himself. He seemed to brush her off and she found herself annoyed by that. Giving him back his clothes the boy was ecstatic. She grew even more annoyed of how he could be like that.

For the past couple days she wondered who exactly Rin Okumura was.

—

He was the spawn of Satan.

It wasn't just from physical appearances that had given him away but his underlying control of trying to suppress it, suppress himself. No matter how he hid the fact that he just was and would always be a bastard of the devil.

Growing up in a shrine around demons she had seen each and every form in every affiliation whether it be bad or good, so it didn't come as a huge discovery. At least to her.

When seeing him show his 'true colors' at the camp grounds Izumo was the farthest one from it. But she had seen the blue fire that had blazed against the night. She had seen _him_.

While she hadn't gotten hurt from the brawl from him and the other demon, everyone else was floundering with this new establishment as they recovered.

Yet as everyone was scared or just despised him knowing what he was, she treated him the same. So what if he was half demon? And she knew that the others would get over it, eventually. It wasn't who Rin was that made them scared but what. He was a half and half case, a peculiar one. Izumo could relate to him, in a way.

Because of her long line of descendants that had interacted with the Fox demons they had divine blood distributed through generations. Her mother and herself had the strongest spiritual connections but she wouldn't follow her mother's footsteps. At least not right at the moment.

She'd become an exorcist first and foremost.

From that she would protect what was most precious to her.

When departing for Kyoto she had deliberately sat next to him it wasn't accidental. The idiot had asked her why and she said what she truly meant. Then he had to go and make an embarrassing nickname for her. After that he left off the honorific, which just made it even more embarrassing. Trying to be friendly and all when they didn't know each other quite well. It made her scoff.

Honestly.

Who was Rin Okumura?

—

Izumo Kamiki.

That was quite a mishap of the monster that had appeared, much less in the girl's dressing room. He hadn't known her name but her friend instead as she was carried off. Yet she hadn't budged as she made herself scarce, away from everyone and she was crying.

To see a girl crying, despite being rude, he'd seen how she treated Shiemi and how she manipulated the girl with how she thought friendship worked, which wasn't that. Yet seeing her crying made him upset too. Not even thinking twice, he had taken his shirt off and tossed it on her as he was piteous and she was a pitiful thing.

"Put it on and get out."

With that he then turned away and left her without another word.

Mostly because he didn't know what to say afterwards but that was all he could do.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, that would change.

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 **A/N** : What a short intro! But yeah that's it for now. I'll try to update quickly hehe. Please read and review! I apologize for any mistakes. Next chapter is when it starts to deviate so be prepared!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Also with the whole thing on honorifics I'll be using them when they address each other. Like the Japanese terms and such for parents and siblings. Other than that enjoy!

I'm happy people want this to be updated! I'll do my best!

* * *

Rin blinked slowly.

He hadn't really noticed Izumo despite her being a stellar student, with a horrible condescending attitude.

It wasn't until after she had taken the seat on the train with him that he was reminded of how bizarre she really was, despite her outward actions and what she portrayed or what she tried to be. For being such an obnoxious girl she pulled through and was somehow nice at the most dire times.

Definitely he had misjudged her.

The faintest remembering of a cleaned shirt that was still warm when handed to him played in his mind and switched to something else that he didn't have to really get analytical about.

The girl wasn't his type compared to Shiemi, and she also lacked in the 'upstairs' department. He had his eyes for sexy girls. The kind that were effortlessly provocative and didn't try to be. Girls that had gigantic honkers and a pretty enough face were what he dreamed of. Kindness was a nice bonus to have too.

Shiemi had potential if she wasn't so shy but that amplified her cuteness with her nice rack, that she kept behind that loose-fitting kimono which was a real shame. Then again he could appreciate a girl that stuck to her culture and had modesty.

And Izumo. He would admit Izumo's personality could definitely be in a sexy category, if someone was into that. A degrading type of sexy.

Also her eyebrows were a prominent thing and it just made her have sort of always grumpy look that contributed to it. Despite the fact it looked like fuzzy caterpillars when she got angry and made them scrunch together. It was hard to take her seriously when she was like that but Izumo was scary whenever she could be.

There was the realization that he was actually going on the pros and cons between his only two female friends and backed away from that thought.

Unlike the Kyoto boys and Shiemi, he didn't know anything about Izumo and when he really thought about it, she was always in the background. That made him racked his head for more about her.

Distant, and usually working alone that was though the only person she really would interact with and not be annoyed was Paku Noriko, but the girl wasn't in cram school and that left the girl a more isolated than before. Yet she chose to be like that, not talking to anyone unless she had to. However she hasn't seemed bothered in the slightest.

In classes she would have a far away look in her eyes mostly looking out any window. Unreadable, and in the passing days even more transparent. However Rin didn't notice that, just how she just about snapped at anyone and left her be.

It was a bit after the Kyoto incident when things were still somewhat tense but over and done with as they were all overcoming it, especially the other males, when she came up in a discussion.

On the topic of girls and how none of them were dating, sadly to Shima and Rin, while Bon reprimanded them because school isn't a dating sim; Konekomaru had brought her up.

"Do you think anything strange is happening with Kamiki?" he had spoken up as he poked at his lunch with the end of his chopstick. The boys were all seated underneath a tree for lunch as they stared at him and Konekomaru fiddled with his red rimmed glasses. "I-it's just she seems more…"

"Aggravated?" Bon supplied. He drank his coffee au lait before crumpling the carton in a fist. "Who knows Kamiki is angrier than usual and it's getting on my nerves. She's making me angry."

"What?! How could you say that?" Shima leaped to her defense as Rin was finishing off his lunch. When hearing about this, she was more irritable than usual, getting into arguments with Bon mostly.

As he rested against the trunk of the tree he scoped the area with his eyes to see if the girl in question was around. She wasn't but he did see her friend. Preoccupied she was sitting in the grass as she had her hands on her cellular device. No one else had sat with her.

"What do you think?" It was directed at him from Shima and Rin looked over to him putting his arms behind his head.

"Dunno."

While they talked about grades and tests that were boring him even though there weren't any this week, Rin got up and went over to the girl; the boys just gave him a stare but resumed their discussion. Currently it was some half-baked conspiracy theories that Shima was going on about.

While she had been typing away at her phone it took here lies than a minute before seeing him. Offering a friendly smile and gesture of her hand at the boy she closed her phone as he came to stand in front of her.

"Hello Rin." He said hello back before looking beside her. This was why he was over here anyway.

Rin asked, "Where's eyebrows?" He could say that since she wasn't around and it took Paku a minute to get who he was implying.

Sending a glance at her phone she gave a small sigh before picking it up to check her inbox again. Not being rude on purpose though Rin stood there, deciding whether or not if he should be going back because he knew that Shima would either call him out or yell something stupid that would make him look like a bigger idiot than he already was.

While clicking her phone to its screensaver, a picture of her and Izumo smiling and flashing peace signs, the screen lighting on to off until she finally put it in her lap not looking at him.

With a seeping breath, she exhaled. The weather was hot and the rays of sun went through the leaves of the tree onto her skin. A hot day, as Rin had popped open his collar and had his tie on looser, with his sleeves rolled to mid arm.

"She," Paku glanced to her phone, "hasn't been answering my texts." That made him a perplexed as he had seen her earlier this morning. Nothing out of the ordinary. The girl reached for her phone, "She hadn't gone to my class too so I think she may have gone back to the dorms…"

Then she looked at him with pleading eyes. From that time he had saved her and let him pet his familiar, he was a pretty good guy to her, whether Izumo wanted to admit it or not.

"Could you please check on her?" Taking out a piece of paper and pen, she wrote the floor and room number and gave it to him and he took it, and read it. "I would, but I have to take a test next period."

It was then Shima called him out and he excused himself and shouted back that, 'no I'm not trying to flirt!'. Before saying that, he did say when he was going back he would do it that made the girl exuberantly beam at him.

Though he was positive that the girl wouldn't miss cram school. After all this was the class where they were all together.

During cram, he saw that Izumo wasn't there either as she hadn't been in the hallways. Which made him really think. Could she be skipping? No not a student like her with a perfect attendance record—

"Okumura? Could you recite this?" A teacher brought himself back and he stared up and then asked to use the bathroom. Ignoring the snide comment from the teacher, he left the cram school and found the way to the girls dormitories.

There would be girls, as it was an all girls faculty, so he snuck through a window and hoped no one saw that he had climbed up several feet into the window. Reaching the window still had been quite easy and he tried the latch. The latches weren't locked and he could get in.

When stepping through and shutting it after him, so people wouldn't know that someone had just climbed in, there wasn't anyone Rin could see but had heard muffled movement inside some of the rooms.

Based on just this floor, the female counterpart was far better than the one he was currently in. Modish and even having vending machines, not to mention the decor wasn't peeling wallpaper and didn't have any smell or sight of mildew. Although it was rundown and an older section of a building it was nice to have a whole building to himself and his brother. Plus they didn't have to pay for living there because of the headmaster.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, Rin rounded the corner and found the room. Rapping his knuckles on it, it had opened at that and he stopped, hand in midair. That was odd as he didn't think that Izumo would be a person to leave their door opened but waited for her to come out, yelling at him to why he was in the girls' dormitory and other things.

There wasn't any resounding footsteps or words through the walls, much less moving. As the door had already been opened he decided to let himself in.

Her room was surprisingly to herself as there were no clashing sides and he thought that Paku shared it with her. Closing the door behind him, he let himself look at everything.

In the corner of the room there was the standard bunk bed that all students had and the bottom was the most in use with a sheets pushed around and not at all neat like he would have gotten from knowing Izumo, and there was a decent sized manga collection hidden away but he could see it and smirked at that. Albeit being a studious person she could also be somewhat normal. Maybe he could discuss manga with her, if she was up for it.

Hair accessories on shelves above the desk that also had jewelry and minimal makeup and vials of what looked to be perfume. Facial products of those step-by-step routines for beauty regimes too and it wasn't as organized as he originally saw when entering. It was astonishingly girly though she wasn't, at least that was the impression he had dust correlate with this one.

Books and papers were on the desk along with highlighters and mechanical pencils and the pens. When coming in there were tinny sounds that weren't as noticeable until going to her bed and at first sifting through the covers until reaching between the gap of the wall and mattress and there he had the phone, a song playing through the earphones. Pencil lead that had been broken were all over her paper and he tried to read what she had down but it rambled and actually went off the page. Even students like her had trouble he guessed.

Messages were popping on the screen as it hadn't been replied to. All were from her friend and he saw on the screen a default background. Placing it down on the desk he had paused the song to save the battery.

Her room wasn't at all what he had thought. It was a surprise to see she wasn't as uptight as she appeared.

Then he heard a moan. Feminine and it got louder, breathless. It was in this very room.

Out of everything he knew from her, he didn't think she was a girl who did that. Another moan and it was less high and he was very uncomfortable.

It made him gulp and get absolutely mortified despite himself and he was going to make a quick exit as he was trespassing on something he shouldn't have, but it became a groan and he was unsure.

If she was in any pain...he followed it and that leaded to the closet. Was it coming from inside it? What could possibly be in there, though his imagination fulfilled it. It became more sinister and his thoughts became scarier as a result.

Teetering on uncertainty he steeled himself and marched himself to the door as the sounds had tapered off.

It wasn't open but he slid it all the way. On the inside closet floor was Izumo and that made him take a step back. In a cotton white shirt and mint shorts as she hadn't fallen but rather laid there. But he didn't know that. It was when her hands twitched and he caught a glimpse of the numerous band aids some with gauze pads on her arms and one even near her chest, barely noticeable from her shirt. Not that he was staring.

A first aid kit had been opened and wrappers of bandages and disinfectant among other things that he had familiarized himself from his old fighting days, with were out and used.

"Izumo?" No answer.

As she was sprawled on the floor it was when he saw that she was feverish from her breathes. So he did the only thing he could. Carefully, he sat her up against the wall and put the back of his hand on her forehead. Her hair was down, uncombed and stringy as if she had washed it, and he had to brush it back with his other hand. Above average temperature but not exceedingly when he compared it to himself putting a hand on his forehead.

If she was out then this would be easy. Taking her in his arms, she was really light and smaller up close which made him uneasy as he brought her over to the bed and put her in. She hadn't waken but seemed more distressed huffing and clung to him. Carefully he took her hands from his uniform and she clenched at nothing for a few short moments before lying still.

Needing to cool her down, he fished out the amount of money to get a bottle of water and went to a vending machine he had passed earlier and then looked for a washcloth or a small cloth of any sort. There was one in the kit, and he had knelt he saw some blood that were in dried droplets on the wooden floor that had stained her school uniform as if she was trying to wipe it up with it with her sleeves but it was white and shown through. Her clothes were shoved into a corner.

He closed the closet.

Uncapping the bottle, he tipped it onto the cloth. Making sure it was soaked thoroughly but not sopping he had placed it on top of her forehead.

At first her eyebrows quirked up before they went down but a frown marred her features and he didn't know if it had been there before. It was then he took one of her arms and squinted at it. Peeling one back he saw the indention of what a needle would make and bruising around it, and didn't know what to think exactly.

Rin waited by her bedside hoping she would wake up soon but then his phone beeped and he got a message. From his brother demanding to know why he hadn't shown up and he decided to send a text before shutting it off. Rin didn't want his brother to know where he was exactly as he knew Izumo wouldn't appreciate anyone knowing. Then again he knew now. Well she could make an exception, it was just him anyway. He wasn't any harm.

While he rewetted the wash rag the girl turned a bit, her eyes crinkling a bit as if scrunched up too tight to block out something.

"Tsu...kumo…" the girl muttered and it was almost discernible that Rin had to strain his ears to hear. The girl was incoherent to e him and then there was the words of 'mother' and that made him freeze. Now he was really curious to what exactly was going on.

It was a bit over an hour before she did wake up.

During that time Rin had also fallen asleep, arms crossed and his head resting back as he had pulled up the chair from the desk and sat on it, next to her.

Groggily, she rubbed at her eyes and she saw that she was in her bed and that the numbing at her arms and chest were temporary as it was bothersome every time she moved. The washcloth had stuck onto her skin and she took it off with some disgust. She didn't have a fever it was just a side effect of too much blood taken and some injections. All she could think of before she passed out was getting out of her clothes and changing into her pajamas.

Then she saw that there was someone else in here with her and that made her flinch. However seeing that it was Rin made her relax before it went to confusion in her muddled head. What was he doing here?

He was too close that she didn't even have to get out of bed to shake him by the shoulder. When he didn't respond Izumo shoved at him harder and he snorted and choked on his own tongue. That made her smirk for a second but she squashed that down. Yawning, Rin stretched his joints letting out the strainage; his neck would be ache later from how it had been.

Scooting backwards she went more into her covers and stared at him expectantly as he he blinked wearily. Scratching at his hair Rin then popped his fingers, the resounding crack echoing in her small room. It made Izumo uneasy as she didn't want to talk. But her attitude got the better of her and she did.

"Why are you here?" she said, a frown already on her face. How'd he even get into the dormitory, was there no security here whatsoever? Then again Rin could get away with a lot of things because he was, Rin.

Getting most of the sleep out of him as he had woken up, he leaned forward. Her chair was wooden and hadn't been the best rest he'd had.

"Your friend, she asked me to." Her name had escaped him and that made her curse inwardly at her friend.

Why did Paku have to get him? But yet she also was touched that her friend be that concerned for her.

She snipped out, "Well you did so you can go," and despite it all she was still her. That made him glad. Rolling his shoulders to give a shrug he eyed her.

"You have a fever and I had to carry you to bed. I found you on the floor."

It wasn't subtle the way worry found itself in his voice and Izumo wanted to laugh at that.

Unbeknownst to him she had had decided to lay in the closet after redressing herself, too tired to get back into bed and to cool her entire body down as the fan in her room wasn't doing much.

Though she wouldn't let him know that.

"So?" she said and Rin didn't look at all bothered from her tone.

"So I'll take care of you until you're better."

What Izumo hated on more than anything was depending on someone and she's been sick a couple of times before and did just fine by herself. She wasn't a person that had to depend on someone, she wasn't.

"I don't need a caretaker," she turned her head up. "So just leave already."

Again with getting aggravated for no good reason! He was going to have to approach this a different way. Starting in a neutral tone, Rin went in with what little information he had.

Rin said, "I heard you say Tsukumo." That made her eyes widen rather drastically and he went on as he had gotten her. "Who is she?"

"W-why should I tell you this?!" she shouted her hands clamping onto the blanket. "It's none of your business so stop meddling!"

Now he was getting a bit annoyed himself and scowled. "Because you're my friend!" This girl!

Much to his befuddlement, she laughed bitterly and then looked to her hands. Both were rigid at the tension as she then let go, putting them to her upper arms. "No you're not...no one is." At the sudden change as the girl withdrew her legs to her chest she rested the side of her face atop her knees. "I only have myself."

At that he really did ponder.

Out of all of them, Izumo was the person that was an acquaintance out of all of them. But still that didn't mean Rin considered her his friend. In fact he held her in high regards from the individual acts she did.

That what she was doing, the Izumo he knew wouldn't approve. "What about the others? Your childhood friend?"

That made her stiffen.

"She's your friend right?" Even Paku didn't know her most deepest secrets nor would she ever. It made it easier for the both of them. But in validity, it made it easier for her.

Izumo let her voice out, "If I told you, you wouldn't understand," and Rin leaned closer, hands on his knees. His tail lashed out on the side, depicting his unsaid turmoil.

"Being the son of Satan I think I can," he said and she looked at him. Ever since they had found out he was the son of the devil himself he seemed to use it to his advantages despite being at a disadvantage. Which was admirable she supposed.

"Why should I tell you anyway," she backtracked and this time he decided to be a bit snarky himself.

Crossing his arms and letting his legs splay out and he had his head upwards with a smirk.

"If you don't, I'll tell everyone about this." Though he wouldn't because he respected boundaries and privacy as he had his own, but Izumo seized up and he could tell he got her.

Though she would rub at her arms but that wasn't an option she only put her legs down underneath the blankets; wanting to hide herself. And be asleep and just be left alone but no she had to deal with this annoying guy.

"Fine. So what do you want to know?"

Why she agreed was beyond her. But just because she said she would didn't mean she would actually explain herself, just have vague words that would suffice.

Rin didn't expect her to let her guard down so easily but then again she was in a half lucid state between awake and sleeping and rubbed at his chin. Right now he could learn anything about this girl. Yet he couldn't make up his mind because there were so many things to ask.

Favorite food, music, color, what she generally liked or hated he couldn't ask that. Though he wanted to, he really did, but from how Izumo was skewering him with her eyes, he would get to the point before she changed her mind.

While she was waiting for him to decide Izumo realized just how easy her resolve was crumbling. Just because of one person. It must be under this guy's influence. Or whenever she got near the others. They were making her susceptible to this weakness and she hated it. Yet...

"Tsukumo." Rin paused. "Who is she?" He assumed it to be a girl from her ramblings and that it wasn't a unisex name.

She took a deep breath, hands unclenched. "She's my little sister." Well he hadn't didn't know what he expected. "She's all I have but I don't know where she is." Izumo never really liked thinking too much on where she could be.

Instead she focused more on her little sister and the memories they had together as it was less painful than the present.

"Why not?" Rin prompted and her composure was beginning to unravel. Everything about how she was upholding herself was forceful. That made Rin have a dreaded anticipate to what she had to say next.

"Because they took her from me."

"Who's 'they?'"

At that she wore a face of pure malice one that Rin hadn't seen on her nor wanted too.

"Those damned bastards from the Illuminati." It wasn't rare for Izumo to curse but he hadn't heard her often and when he did he blinked a couple times at her. "They took her and hid her from me."

Illuminati? The spy organization? Or something like that, he didn't know but Shima had been talking about it at lunch. Before he could speak she breathed out slowly and evenly as if trying to regain her strength through just breathing. Or at least calm herself.

"But maybe this way it'll keep her safe. A conspirator had put her in a adoption. She probably doesn't remember me anymore. It's for the best anyway." Though she could be either dead but Izumo didn't believe that. All from that Rin had deciphered that she had a sister and that she was adopted.

"And your mom?"

That's when he got a mixed reaction that ended up in a passive face that she usually bore. It was only to hide her emotions he realized later on.

"What of her?"

"Where is she? Or you dad?" Those were both terribly sore topics because parents are suppose to be untiring and just there for their children and hers weren't but she went on and did so willingly and truthfully much to her bewilderment. She summed it up as it was better to be truthful than to deal with this later on.

"My mother...she got possessed by a spirit that my family could only control. It's because she wanted to be with my father that she lost herself to it." There was visible confusion from him and she went to clarify that. "I was illegitimate and my father didn't want any part in my life, or my little sister's." It wasn't as agonizing to admit that now than compared to before and there was a flurry of emotions on his face.

So that meant that she had been orphaned.

For Rin having a dad or at least surrounded by people that cared for him was important for him if not what he treasured the most If he didn't have anyone from the monastery he would definitely be a lonely guy. Someone sadder and a loner.

Rin tried not to dwell on it.

After all he did have his brother, even though having a twin could be exhausting but he still loved him in the end; and he had friends now. Friends that he never thought he'd ever had.

Parents and little sister. Mother got possessed after the father didn't want his kids, what kind of guy wouldn't want his kids, and then little sister gets out into a adopting agency. Which left Izumo by herself. No wonder she was by herself she must have a lot on her mind.

Looking over her arms he could go more onto her and how did she get those shots. As he had a bit more on her about her past he could go on to why she had those on her arms. And chest. The bruising on her arms were still on his mind.

"Your arms. What happened to them?" She didn't know how that correlated with anything she was saying but then she realized that they were covered with tape or padding or plain bandages. The needles hadn't been as painless as all the other times and the width this time was too thick and had been inserted without very much care and probably ruptured a vein. It would explain why the bleeding had taken longer to stop and the bruising around it.

"What about?" She said and he wasn't rebuffed.

"They're all bandaged up and bruised." He went still before speaking his voice tight. "Did someone hurt you?" His hand twitched as if to go to his sword.

If he was getting anymore angrier, he was right now. Izumo didn't understand how he could when he didn't even know half of the story. Much less fend off an enemy that wasn't there.

Izumo didn't really know how to put it together it since this was the first time she was saying this aloud to someone. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

Perplexed, Rin asked, "What do you mean?" and she didn't want to talk about it, ending their conversation as she went more into her covers. But he wasn't having any of that as he shook her on the shoulders.

Part of her wanted to summon her foxes but she didn't have the paper within her reach and it would be a hassle to explain it to them too.

She slapped his hands away. "Fine!" Turning her head to him she told him. "Often, I get these…" Izumo struggled for an appropriate word to use. "Checkups."

That was all she was going to offer. Checkups was a broad term as they checked up on her to make sure that her percentage of being a viable vessel for the nine tails demon hadn't decreased. In fact it actually rose from its low percentage to half percentage which was distressing her. She hadn't even perfected the dance to draw it out yet. All of this was wearing her down and today her body couldn't take it.

Rin was dubious. "Really?" but Izumo wasn't going to do anymore explaining. Wordlessly she had dismissed him.

"I'm not sick just overworked," she pulled away from him and put the blankets around her. "I'll come to school tomorrow."

Whether Rin could stop her, she was going back to sleep and he didn't make a move to stop her. There were so many emotions that were whirling through him but he just stood up and went to the door. Creaking it open he stopped it and turned to cast a look at the girl that she felt on her.

"You better."

Gone, he had left her with a sense of guilt. Something she hated a lot. Izumo should have thanked him. But she didn't.

Her hands tightened in the covers. Thank you's were useless to her.

* * *

 **A/N** : Whoa! Two chapters in one day! I'm a trooper. So a canon divergence! Yup. Yup. Also I will try to keep them as in character as possible. Recently I bought fourteen volumes of the manga and have read the rest online. I need to rewatch the anime but I've watched the movie and drawn more inspiration from it!

Hmmm this chapter may seemed rush but eh. I apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please read and review! Leave a comment as it does motivate me!

EDIT: I fixed minor mistakes and tried to get all the grammar mistakes and cleared up inconsistencies with dialogue and actions!

Also I made my writing style with more variety with different sentence structure! I just hope I do the right grammar rules! I've read a bunch of articles on writing rules to improve!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** : Sorry I couldn't update this earlier but I like taking my sweet time doing this. Not to mention the exams and tests I have coming up that I'm always swamped in. But that's no excuse as I am also lazy when I write and tend to go off and do something else than actual do writing.

I know it's a bit OOC for Izumo to open up as easily as that but I'll go into further detail to why she did. Anywho, please enjoy this chapter!

Also to the person on tumblr, you were helpful and thanks!

* * *

Too early in the morning that even the stars were still out, she had an appointment to a hospital that she had been going to for the majority from the beginning of the year. All these schedules were monthly, much to her dismay.

Every now and then she would have phone calls or emails by an unsaved number and no sender, both with no return address, insisting her to do this or that as she was and still being monitored from when she had been taken under the organization, so it was expected of her. Izumo should be grateful that she hadn't been killed. Grateful that expenses were paid for and that she didn't have to do anything except do well and do what they said.

Yet she'd rather be dead than grateful to them. Though having her dead would have thrown a wrench in their plans.

It was all a facade that she was in as she was led into the room to be poked and prodded at. It was mandatory after all and a routine she didn't have to know to do.

Put in a paper thin gown that even though it was the summer, she was chilly as the air conditioning puffered through the vents as she ran her fingers on her arms. Picking at the serial number band on her wrist from habits of having it on whenever she came to be examined. It was there reminding her why she was there and she didn't want to show any weakness. Sitting atop the examination table, the plastic and paper making the most noise as she shifted her legs to at least appear confident as the doctor had came in.

An scientist under the disguise of a doctor, had taken blood samples that left her a bit faint before giving her doses that would increase her apparent abilities which were a concoction of synthetic magic that had been produced in the labs. That way the probability of succession were higher.

Disinfecting her arms, a tray of needles in a consecutive row were presented to her. Plethora of abnormal substances were in the syringes and awaiting her. With the passing years as she had grown, so had the length of the needles.

Since it could go all into her veins as that would possibly kill her, it was to be put into where she channeled her power from, that were her arms. At the beginning the needles were inserted with precision as it was in the vein but then on her arms it was in any area at any depth which was further in to make it more effective. Blood had been wiped away and then a band-aid or a pad with gauze over it, with no systeming whatsoever but it was always like that. Needles were the most used as opposed to pills as the organization could see her taking it rather she faking to swallow the pill.

As a child she had hid the pills under her tongue until she was caught.

All the while she had taken it without a sign of pain, but inwardly her body was recoiling at the intrusion of chemicals that were going into her with the tensing and untensing.

Those were, supposedly, energy boosters or some genetic modification antibodies to pump throughout her system while enhancing her linkage to her powers but rather it made her feel like she wanted to die or reject all of this by all the toxins that she was putting in her body.

Besides her health, the people who went through the procedures had tacked it on and it was making her more tired. With all the testing that was done to her, it wasn't like they would ever tell her if all of this was actually doing anything.

No, they'd flip through their files and mark down her bodily functions as they had even when she was a little girl. She was just a lab rat like her mother in the end and she was self aware but turned her back to it.

And her mother.

The syringes weren't that bad but she also had a high pain tolerance so she couldn't be the judge of that.

Even at a young age she gotten use to pain. Scuffing up her knees, as she did trip a lot and while also keeping her sister safe from people she didn't trust when she was younger. Though as a result she had an endless supply of baind-aids and had gone through it all.

When seeing as her arms were dealt with she was about to leave when she saw another tray pulled out. Usually it was just injections but this time there was a contraption she hadn't seen before but knew it wasn't any good for her. The doctor made her sit, and she did as then there was a gloved hand that was creeping into her gown.

Irked, she angled her head to the side, neck away from it and what little shielding she had had; its neckline dropping as they said it was procedural. Cold iodine was onto her as it sanitized, the yellow-orange made a staining on her pale skin and then it was onto her and that's when she did make some sound.

The device, whatever it was, hurt and it had punctured into her skin and injected but also pulled something else that wasn't blood out while it did so. Her rate of heartbeats per second were going up and down, she endured it until it was taken off and there wasn't as much blood as she had thought as it felt like she was getting _murdered_.

Nevertheless bandaged up on there too, she couldn't move her upper half without being overcome with the stinging of everything she had to sit through for the past hours or so and the scientist had left her shortly.

Mechanically, Izumo moved herself into her clothes which made her have to stop a few times. Though she was mad she didn't know what that new thing was. It could have been their latest creation to test on her, as it had made her more in tune with things. Like how much her arms and chest hurt that much she was certain of.

When leaving with plaster lining up and down on her arms and a patch pressed right above her heart, all these would be hindersome. Although she did have on her uniform, the sleeves loose enough to not be too constricting. The only good thing about this was that she had the appointments early in the morning so she wouldn't have missed any classes.

And that she was doing this all for her dear, little, sister.

As school dragged on she found herself getting tired and couldn't focus as well. Each time the bell rang it was like a death toll for her head. Anytime someone was going to go into her she had to move quickly as her arms were hurting. From all the other times she had done it she may have been sluggish but nowhere near to this.

By the window she let herself doze, something that the students and teachers hadn't seen from her. Extremely out of the ordinary as the girl wasn't even hiding it, though her head had been inclined to the window.

Her arms and chest weren't stinging as much now a dulled pain that wasn't going to cease and sleeping it off had come natural to the body. Now she knew why Rin slept so much during lectures.

From everyone of the class as they whispered amongst themselves, the closest person to her had tried to whisper to her. When that didn't work they then shook her that made her snap her head up.

"Kamiki-chan? Maybe you should go to the nurse?" A deskmate ventured to say and the girl nearly bite their head off as they pulled their hands away and had apologized.

As a teacher had noticed and sent her to the nurse, (who took an critical eye at her before telling her to go take the day off going as far to phone the teacher), she did exactly that. However before she went back, she had asked for the current assignments except for cram class. By the afternoon she would be better and she would come to cram school.

Wishing they had an elevator, she went up the flight of stairs before unbolting her door and falling onto the bed, her schoolbag somewhere on the bed as she had let go of it. Her covers weren't made and she squirmed into it. There was some salvageable warmth as she went deeper in and she could go back to sleep if she just didn't try too much and just rest.

It would be the easiest thing to do. Laying there she breathed in deeply before letting it out in a sigh deep within her, from her very soul. It was still early, just and hour or two that she was dismissed and she decided if she couldn't do work at school she would do it here as it was homework.

Getting up, she took out the material from her core classes from her backpack, as those were the most important after all, and went to her desk where she would sit in her chair for another hour until she noticed that it had turned to the afternoon where cram class would begin.

Those being the utmost priorities she decided that she would stay in, just for today as she had a growing headache. She's been stuck on a paper not that it was hard but she kept losing her spot and her writing varied from smooth lines to ambling spaced out ones that went off the edge of the paper.

Bothered, as her arms were more tired than she actually was that she had to rest them in the table and not lift them up as the pain from the needled that had pulled at her skin made her want to take out the wrappings.

Opening her sliding closet, she reached to where the first aid kit was on a shelf but saw that her pajamas near it.

Instead she thought better of it and instead took the clothes, and a towel with other shower necessities and went to the showers.

Dialing the spray to a lukewarm as she didn't want it to be too hot, she put her arms under the water to test it out. Through the band-aids she could tell that most were still bleeding and stood in the shower. Water went through the cloth and into the openings that was prickling in her skin.

Easing into it, she did wash herself but had limited movement of her arms. When dressing herself she saw that the shots had bruising from picking back a bandage, assumably from how far it has went and how it had been administered. No matter, it had been done. Dressing herself, she had her clothes in her hand with her bathing items.

Going back to her room it was much hotter than before and had turned on her fan. As it whirled, making her papers bend up with it; Izumo went back into the closet and got the first aid kit. It was always too far up and she got on her tippy-toes before having it in her hands as she propped it open. Bandages should be changed often and the ones she had were wet and used.

Taking it off from bottom to top, some still clung to her arms and she pulled at wincing as her skin was pulled along with it. Balling it up and dragging the trash can over to dispose it in, Izumo then ripped the paper off the sheer strip ones as those were the easiest to take off for minor wounds.

When applying them she put some ointment to speed up the healing process, though it aches when she patted it in. Getting the blood circulating would make the bruising go down she read somewhere but she did it for a few as it did hurt. Her shirt had a wide neckline and she didn't have to pull it down as she went to the last one left on.

Peeling it back, the bleeding had been slowed but there was still a bit and she took it off completely to relieve the heat of her body. Putting cooling ointment, she then laid a adhesive pad over it and made sure there were no wrinkles in it as she smoothed it down. From some of them, they had excess blood and she had used her uniform to try and wipe it up.

It was then that she was beginning to feel a bit woozy and she was still hot as if the fan hadn't help. Laying herself on the wooden floor that was cool, she let herself blackout.

Then she was in her bed and ended up spilling most of her life story to the devil's son. While she had talked to him though a bit scared that she was finally telling someone all of this afterwards, there was the slightest lift of something heavy from her whole self.

Still, there were secrets that she had kept from him and would keep bottled.

Somewhere when she was almost asleep, she realized that she had told Rin most of her secrets she felt a bit of a fool. Now he could tell anyone if he wanted. Though she didn't know if he would she had to be sure and confront him on it. Right now she would sleep.

The next morning had gone relatively the same as it usually did. There were no dizzy spells or random spikes of pain as she went through each class.

Resisting the urge to scratch at how exposed she was she patiently sat through the lessons of day until it was time for cram school.

Bandages weren't meant to be worn for more than a few days if not one, unless to be redressed and the holes on her arm and near her chest were healing up so she had taken them off. Better to not cause any suspicion either.

At lunch she and Paku were seated in the cafeteria to take a break from the heat. There was a secluded spot near the ends of the tables that they seated themselves. Opening her lunch, she ate but saw that Paku was glancing at her every minute or so.

"What is it?" The girl jumped slightly at her question.

At that Paku looked down at her uneaten lunch. "It's just that you didn't reply back to my texts…" Izumo felt bad but her phone was low on battery and had to be charged overnight. Though she wasn't up to reply to any of the text and just deleted them. "My phone was almost dead," it wasn't a complete lie or the truth but Paku seemed to understand when she nodded.

As they both ate, Paku slower than Izumo she looked up. Apparently she hadn't understood and Izumo looked back at her until the girl spoke her thoughts.

"So Okumura-kun checked up on you?" So that's what she wanted to know. Setting the chopsticks in their plastic container she had closed her bento.

"Yes," Izumo put away the empty container into her schoolbag, "he did."

"Oh."

That concluded what she had to say as the girl went back to eating and made talk about a different topic altogether. Making Izumo appreciative that she had dropped the other topic and hadn't even questioned what Rin did other than check up on her.

Lunch had ended, and they went to their classes. Unlocking the door, she went through the door to go on with the other classes.

Demon Pharmacology was sooner than expected and she waltzed in. There was everyone else who looked up at her in varying degrees of emotion and for Rin he was glad that the girl had shown up.

Certainly, he hadn't expected her to do what she promised. It wasn't in her nature to do things like promises anyway.

—

Yesterday, after shutting her door, Rin let out a huff of air. With this information he really wanted to interrogate her further but he didn't know if she was really okay, mentally or physically. For now he would leave her be.

Out the window he went and down the side of the building, and Rin had gone to cram school to see if he could catch the last lecture. Or perhaps he would get lectured by his brother/teacher.

When going to the doors of the classroom, he saw that it was bolted and that there wasn't any students or teachers. He'd have to make it up double.

From the time that was on his mobile phone, school had let out a while ago. In his notifications, there were messages all from Yukio much to his trepidation of what his brother would do.

Distraught, he had went to the old dormitory and up to his room. When he had gotten to his room and shut the door he saw his brother at the desk, who had two stack of papers on opposite sides of him.

When Rin walked in, Yukio slide his eyes to him that had bore mild chagrin with disappointment that made Rin a bit mad himself.

Nonetheless, he went back to his task of grading his papers, the red ink circling and numbering the many assignments, tests, and pop quizzes that had been taken over the trimester.

Yukio didn't have time to also worry about his brother. He had a job to teach but also be Rin's somewhat of a guardian which honestly didn't bode well with him. Surely, it was supposed to be the other way around and when his twin had sent him a vague and couple worded message he had to be a tidbit concern of what exactly Rin was doing. He'd leave the worrying to Rin himself, after all he was born first so he held some responsibilities that Yukio couldn't have.

And for that, he was envious.

"Where were you Nii-san? I couldn't figure it out through one text and you didn't answer my others," his phone is on his desk beside him as he did his work and Rin fell onto the bed, his sword and bag, left on the floor. "You can't go skipping school."

From the accusation the boy was now melancholic with an agitating indignation that he had whenever his younger brother scolded him.

The entire reason why he was even here was to become the best exorcist that the world had ever laid eyes on. Which would be soon. Rin hoped at least in this lifetime.

Rin sat up, "I wasn't! Just…" He didn't want to tell Yukio that he had skipped school to go to the girls dormitory and to see a girl no less, despite it being Izumo, she was still a girl. Which would make his brother even more suspicious than he already was.

Grumbling he laid back down and turned away from him, the sound of papers being sorted through being the only sound in the room.

As he graded the papers Yukio spared his brother a look. "Just don't let it happen again." Though he didn't know what Rin had exactly done he didn't think too much on it.

"Yeah yeah."

"By the way," there was some rifling through that made Rin turn over to observe his brother. "You made a rather low grade on the compound test. I suggest you take a retest." Holding his paper up, Rin didn't have to be a genius to see that he failed.

"Argh!"

The day had started off unremarkable for him, as almost being late, napping on and off through the majority of his classes, until it was lunchtime. Digging through his backpack to get his lunch, he met the other boys under the tree since it provided spacious shading, as they all ate together.

"Izumo-chan is here today! I saw her in the hallway but she's not here," Shima informed them, as he had tried to get the girl to answer him but she had pretended not to hear him and turned a blind eye. He would have invited her to eat lunch with them!

Konekomaru smiled, "That's good to hear," while Bon was indifferent to it.

However Rin had also seen her in the hallways and was relieved and a bit gleeful that the girl had did what he said. Maybe she did listen, sometimes. She also looked better from yesterday and not a pasty pale as she had when he found her and that reassured him.

When looking around the classroom, Shiemi was figidity. Class was beginning and Rin saw the girl couldn't stop looking about, as her eyes moved constantly.

"What's wrong? You look like you lost something." Rin queried and the girl flushed.

Shiemi stuttered as she spoke, "I-it's not that. It's that," her eyes darted to where Izumo sat by herself. "Kamiki-san she wasn't here yesterday…"

At the girl he had realized that from all of them Shiemi was the one that the girl didn't like very much. In fact, the first time that Shiemi had befriended Izumo her concept of friends had been distorted though she knew what Izumo was doing was wrong. But still she let her do it.

However after the mission to the capital, the two girls seemed more at peace with one another, with Izumo not looking at the girl as if Shiemi was offending her every time she talked. Briefly, Rin wondered when the shift had happened but that was between the two, themselves.

—

Pestering was Shima as she had taken on her sudden one day leave. "Izumo-chan where were you yesterday? I missed youuu." Oblivious to him, she had sat in her chair and then gotten out her papers and material for the class.

Everyone watched her and Bon spoke to her.

"Kamiki! You shouldn't slack off. We have enough slackers," Bon said, and Rin and Shima looked away, muttering at the call out about them.

As the girl inclined her head to him, her expression was sour. It was reflected back at her, Bon glaring.

"Not everyone has perfect health," so she was going with the excuse of being sick and Bon didn't have anything to say to that. As everyone else got seated, Shiemi looked back and forth to her.

Shiemi beside him then spoke to the girl. "I-if you're sick then I have some herbs that may help…"

The girl was taken back at how she just offered so easily as they were practically strangers, but refused. "I'm not sick. It was just something stressful." Though she was used to her rejections, Shiemi couldn't do much about it and they waited for Yukio to show up.

"Izumo-chan, you should get more rest if you have to take a day just from stress," Shima said and the girl didn't respond to the pouting boy.

It was then that Yukio came in and began the lesson. Mostly reviewing over a pop quiz that was at the end of the period, that she aced without being there. It was just common knowledge after all.

Rin stuffed his quiz away as Shiemi blubbered over her's. "It isn't that bad…" the girl then went over to Yukio to discuss it. When seeing her's it was several points higher than his own. There were red circles and slashes and he drooped when seeing his. What was he doing wrong?

Dampened by it, he went to go cheer himself up by reading manga in his room or something but he saw the Kyoto trio waving at him as they were in the hallway. Coming up to them, Shima had a smile  
on not at all bummed that he had failed as he had been closer to passing. Much to Bon's and Konekomaru's reprimanding.

"There's a new karaoke place that opened up! They say it's pretty hot. Wanna come?" Shima said. Bon was just roped into it along with Konekomaru as Shima had used an excuse on both of them. No doubt it was that they hadn't gotten him anything for his birthday and this was how they were making up for it.

"Sure." As he didn't have anything else better to do he could sing his sorrow away or something.

"How about you teach?" Yukio was walking by and stopped to look at them.

Shifting his briefcase in his hand he shook his head. "I have matters to attend to." He walked away to wherever he was going,not offering to why he couldn't go.

Why Shima offered was because Rin was his brother but he knew that their teacher wouldn't go out with his students, at least not Yukio as he was as straight-arrowed than even Bon.

"Four eyes is always busy," Rin brushed off, as he looked off somewhere at the ceiling.

That didn't make the disappointment he hid any less prominent and Shima knew exactly how to cheer him up.

Shima grinned at him, "Now to get some ladies," seeing the two girls exit he went for it, and waved at them, "Hey, you two want to go with us to sing karaoke? I have a sweet deal and get us all in!"

"O-oh uh—"

"Okay." That came from Izumo as she strode towards him, leaving the girl and boys to gander at her. Izumo, taking up a invitation by Shima? The pink haired boy was also in stupefied state as he gaped at her while she passed him.

Well, she had went to his brother's concert with him once, though it wasn't how he'd thought it would have turned out when his idiot brother had invited everyone else.

"Are you really okay Kamiki?" Bon said and the girl turned on him. "Did you hit your head too or something?" From that, she sent him a look.

"What you invited me right?" The girl said, pompous and Bon was going to fight her right then and there. But Shima held him back at arm's length as he then turned to Shiemi, radiating expectation.

Perhaps she would come too now that the elusive girl had decided to. Even if she didn't come he'd still consider this a win for him!

Now if there was another girl going she didn't see why it wouldn't hurt to try it. "If Kamiki-san is going then…I will too."

This was an opportunity for her and Izumo to become better friends. Izumo saw that she had changed her answer because she was coming too and frowned.

At this moment, Shima was overjoyed that he had gotten two girls rather than all his friends to take his offer as he blabbered on. As they went down the winding stairs, Rin was also overjoyed to a lesser extent. Since he could hear and see Shiemi singing, that made him more excited than it should.

From the girl that was behind him, he wondered if Izumo was feeling lonely if she was tagging along with them. It had been a while since all of them were out.

Last time they had been altogether and not on a assignment was when they had become exwires. Which was and had been a accomplish for all of them.

Teamwork and all, it had improved and then fell from when it was revealed that Rin was a demon's spawn. Still, it was rebuilding itself, and it was times like these when karaoke was crucial to maintaining the structuring, no matter how insignificant it seemed.

Into the city they went, their uniforms sticking out as high schoolers as they crossed the many street lines. It was near the train station that the new one was at as Shima told them along the way. Coming to an stop it was what most karaoke places were and saw that the deal hours were up. A surplus of people meant half off which was a bargain.

Entering they were all greeted and were to follow the questions as there were procedures.

"Is it your first time here?" Multiple nods and shakes of heads. Counting them all up, the assistant had went to their computer. Six people altogether the prices would go down. 100 yen to 400 yen were in the peak hours so it was within range.

"How long will you be singing?" Shima had to think on that one as Shiemi couldn't stay out too late as her mother would get onto her and opted for at least one or two hours.

"Food or drinks?" They were just there to sing as Shima's wallet would be full of dust bunnies if he said anything different. But since they had paid and there were more than one person they got unlimited drinks.

"Karaoke player?" It didn't matter, Shima waved them off and they gave them a room in an instant, with the tab that was at a good enough price.

Going down the white hallways on the side were glass cups. Getting one, everyone corseted around the machines, dispensing their beverages with the push of the button. There were so many options that Rin had sneaked two cups with him, being the rebel he was, with mild scolding from Bon.

As they went to the room they saw why it was so popular. Everything was updated and since it was new it had become a hotspot for the younger age demographics. The room wasn't anything special, just modernized. Spot lights were in a overhang, and there were neon panels under it.

There was a selection of many songs in CDs and a flatscreen on the wall. Putting their things beside them Shima bounded to the karaoke player.

Holding it in his hands he looked to his seated peers. "Since I'm paying for all of you out of the goodness of myself I'll be picking out the first song." They just drank their drinks and waited for the boy to choose the song as he tapped the stylus across the screen. The boy liked most of the genres of music and since he was out and had girls to show off to he was feeling risky.

Shiemi shyly messed with her ribbon, "I've never been to karaoke." Taking her drink she held it in her hands. "But I heard a ton of girls seem to like it." Many of the girls in her class went to karaoke boxes and this was one that she heard about. A part of her was terrified but exhilarated to be doing this. This was what most teenagers did on a fun night from what she had heard so much on and finally she could experience it too.

Izumo folded her arms, "Paku is always wanting me to go out and do it with her. Singing in public is humiliating." Yet her actions were contradictory, she had her notions.

From that Shiemi felt some disappointment from the lack of enthusiasm from the other girl. Drinking from her cup, she thought on what she would talk about that would initiate a conversation with the girl, rather than actually doing it.

Konekomaru and Bon didn't usually sing but this time they would probably be forced to. But since it was Shima they couldn't say no, exactly. Coming across the song that was foreign Shima pressed it and the screen blipped. It was an American song that though they couldn't understand most of it it didn't matter as they almost went dead from how off key he was. Then again the song he had picked wasn't what most Americans listened to.

"I'd forgotten how tone deaf Shima was," Bon said as he plugged his pinkie in his ear. Rubbing at the back of his head, Shima passed the karaoke touchscreen panel to Bon.

It was a blues song that the gravel in his voice was distinguishing as he sang the lyrics with fidelity as if he was saying a mantra rather than singing. It was quite amazing that he was still tuneful with the song. At the end he looked at everyone as they clapped politely. It hadn't been terrible but the way he had sung it wasn't right for the style of song.

"Sheesh, sing it don't say it," Shima criticized and Bon scowled at him and punched him at the shoulder earning him a whine before passing it to Rin.

The boy had been awaiting his turn and had went to a rock song that had been mainstream, by Uverworld with the song Reversi.

Singing his heart out, Shima goaded him on whooping at the quicker parts and Konekomaru clapping him on. Tail out, he pretended to air guitar with it that made them laugh at, but he messed up his timing during the jazz intermission as he scrambled to sing along with the lyrics on screen. Out of all the songs that were chosen, his was the loudest with the drums and guitar blaring and him matching it, to be louder than both. It was suitable for him, the song choice and lyrics.

Izumo wouldn't admit it to him but she was impressed by how he could get so into it and that he wasn't too shabby of a singer.

When he was done they had clapped, Shima proud of his friend as he wringed his arm around Rin's neck. It was as if they were drunk off of the vibe that had settled over everyone, their drinks replenishing them.

Passing it to the meek girl he gave her a smile. "Now Shiemi! You do it!" Handing her the mic and the touchpanel, the girl took them and had to have assistance until she settled on a too cute song.

As there was a metronomic beat that had a count down, it started as she hadn't. Not wasn't saying anything she looked at the screen and then at the boys who urged her on.

The singer was within her voice range and she even didn't try to do cutesy dance moves in the video as she mumbled through some of the lyrics to keep up with it, having stage fright.

Shima and Rin approved of her singing skills as they all listened to her wavering voice follow with the multi-colored lyrics.

The song was for cute people to sing and she was definitely cute unlike Izumo much to her vexation. When hearing her sing, her mistakes didn't matter as much as Rin liked her—her voice. Yeah he liked it, and her.

Soon it was over and the girl breathed out, as the notes hadn't been as high as she thought they were but soft and that had taken an effort. Sipping on her straw, the spritz of the carbonated drink made her burp and her squeaking out an 'excuse me!' and she then looked down into the melting ice cubes.

"I think I did bad," she said and Rin looked to her.

The girl had sadness on her face that didn't suit herself at all. Slouching in the adjoined booths, he directed himself to her and she peered at him from her lap.

"It's just karaoke, it's for fun so don't sweat it," the boy said to her and gave her a grin that she was surprised at before smiling back at him. Rin was such a good friend!

As she had to give it to someone she was going back to give it the person closest to her. And that was, Izumo as the girl was draining her drink.

"Kamiki-san?" It was offered to her but she shook her head.

There was a momentary awkwardness and then someone unexpected stood up.

"I'll go next," Konekomaru offered and took the next turn. Typing it in, it came across a popular song, that was from a anime that had been confusing to many people. But the music video was the anime opening extended showing some clips that made it confusing as there were flashes of text.

As the lyrics came on, everyone was surprised, sans Bon and Shima when hearing the smaller boy sing. He sang rather good and got the beat as he stamped his foot and the guys mostly cheered him on to sing louder. Impassioned the boy sang as loud as Rin if not louder when hitting the high note that could be reached by a woman and done it.

Afterwards when catching his breath, they had all stared at Izumo. To which the girl sipped noisily on her drink.

"Awe come on Izumo-chan, what's the point of even coming with us?" Shima said to her.

Swirling the straw around her cup, she said, "To see how silly you guys are when singing."

Though most of them were actually decent singers their actions could be seen as embarrassing and Shiemi had thought that she had done atrocious on singing and following the tempo of the song. But it was all for good fun as Rin had said so himself and she thought that Izumo should have some fun herself. Because in this moment, Shiemi...she was happy with all her friends.

"That's rude," Shima tutted out as he put his lips together. "Y'know I'm paying for all of us so you might as well." Him paying still didn't make her do anything. If anything it made her want to sing less.

"Yeah Izumo! Please?" Rin looked to the girl and she knew that he was guilt tripping her somehow but in a more discreet way than Shima.

Sighing, she took the microphone and touchscreen with resignation. "Don't beg Okumura, it's unfitting." The boy in question was going to go for a quip but went to siphoning his drink.

Scrolling through she chose a song she actually knew, as everyone waited, most shocked at the uncharacteristic nature of the girl.

"Kamiki must be sick if she's actually going to sing," Bon said before getting elbowed by Shima. This was a once in a lifetime thing and he was going to relish this.

As the instrumental begun with the piano and strings, Izumo began to sing and just shut herself off to everyone. She had stayed seated as she sang, her voice cutting through the silence as they just listened to her.

It took everyone off guard, as they hadn't expected to be that good. Her voice coincided with the instruments and went with it accordingly. She was on pitch and kept up with the song and didn't have to look at the lyrics as much as anyone else. Yet she rushed it a bit to make it end faster.

Bowing her head to the microphone, she let herself sing along until it was the end of the song. Then she put it down, "There, happy now?"

Clapping wildly, Shima had a smile on his face as did Rin and Shiemi were also clapping but not as much as their classmate. Bon muttered something as he drank his drink and Konekomaru gave her a thumbs up for doing it.

"Very, I've been graced by Izumo-chan's angelic voice," Shima practically cooed at her. Ignoring his comment, she was going to drink her beverage but saw that she had already done that. Eyeing Rin's other cup she pondered the possibility of if she could take it from him.

"Kamiki-san your voice really is like an angel," Shiemi complimented which made the girl blanch at her. "I wish I could sing with that much confidence." From that the girl felt some inhibition but also some pride in that.

Rin added on, "Yeah Izumo that was pretty good! Didn't know you had it in you to sing like that." The girl was overwhelmed from the praise and looked away.

It came as a surprise and Rin wondered how many uncovered secrets did she have. Either way, it seemed that he was uncovering one everyday.

From Shima wanting an encore that he wouldn't get, instead they spent the rest of the tab singing group songs and going back out for refills; everyone laughing at the other or with one another. As Izumo had sat it out, she watched everyone else be silly as she had thought they would be. But…

They were lively, silly people without a care in the world that were having fun.

As it was getting late, they had left the karaoke box. Saying their goodbyes and that they should do it again, they went to their current residentials. As everyone went up or down steps, she and Rin were on the same platform. Before he could walk away she whirled on him and that made him stop to eye the girl. Parallel from one another, the pair had a couple feet between them.

Across from him, in the myriad of streetlights that streaked into the surroundings, Izumo had her eyes on him and only him. Somehow, Rin was offput from that.

"What I said to you, pretend I never said it to you." Going up the steps she didn't even stop for him to open his mouth as she spoke again.

"And don't even think of telling anyone of this. Keep it to yourself."

Then she was gone, the flipping of her pigtails and skirt in the breeze of the late night.

Letting that sink in, Rin scratched at the side of his neck. It was a hot night and the breeze that went by him did little to subside it and he would get a heat rash if he scratched harder.

"Does she honestly think that I'll tell anyone..." he said to himself, she couldn't think that lowly of him. Going up the steps he then stopped.

"Does she think...that I could really forget that?"

There was no answer for him, as he then went up the stairs mulling over the events of the day and how it had been continuing to go up.

* * *

 **A/N** : Ahhhhhh goodness this was a monster to write. In fact the longest chapter I've ever written whoooooo. It took me about a week to get into this and write fully. I'm not happy with it and I'll probably change or add things.

Also with the information done on karaoke, I am a very factual and precise person so I actually read articles on places in Japan that have karaoke. If I got anything wrong please correct me as I have gone from writings of articles and videos. Haha… I put way too much effort in making everything accurate but I suppose that isn't a bad thing.

Yen is rather low when converted to dollars 100-400 yen is approximately .8991-3.5965 in US dollars. So even Shima could pay for that haha!

The song reference was Uverworld - Reversi that had been in the Ao No Exorcist/Blue Exorcist/青の祓魔師 movie. There are more vague ones but I'll leave that for your interpretation. And I thought that they would have a karaoke day because the voice actors are pretty damn good at singing. Especially Izumo. Listen to Hana by Eri Kitamura if you want to hear what that sounds like.

Also with the whole exposition, I felt like at first Izumo would rebel a bit since she knew her sister wasn't there but then slowly she would accept it. I think that they would constantly make sure she was deemable for the demon and that's why I wrote that up. It went in rather full detail but yeah that's just my perspective!

Also the hospital care in Japan isn't the best from the information I've researched so imagining a scientist that's being instructed to do this to her would mishandle her.

It's been like 4-5 years since I watch the anime so the chan/san/kun may be inaccurate so if it is please don't hesitate to correct me on it! It's such a hassle for me to be like what honorific to write but I'll get through it somehow.

Please, please, please leave a review or comment or anything that could be helpful or just sharing your thoughts. I value them greatly and the more I have the more I want to write. And I may sound selfish but I really am the type of writer that gets inspired and motivated through input so if you could leave your thoughts I would really appreciate it.

Sorry for this long author note! I just felt like clarifying things and I'll probably go back and revise some things like grammar/punctuation mistakes, sentence structure, pronoun confusion etc.

Anyway I'll try to update sooner!


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